Ronald Fay Boyer arrested after $100k in damage done to Burgettstown High School

The mother of one of three teens police said are responsible for an expensive vandalism spree at Burgettstown Area High School said she’s not trying to downplay her son’s role, but believes all three individuals should face equal punishment.

“Ron did what he did. I can't change that, and it's not that I'm trying to get him out of trouble. I do believe he should be punished for what he did because there was no sense in it, but he wasn't the only one there. They all should be punished for it,” said Boyer’s mother, who did not want to be publicly identified.

She said she was also upset Magisterial District Judge Gary Havelka set her son’s bail at $250,000.

“I want the punishment to fit the crime. I mean, he's on $250,000 bail. Havelka and them know we don't have that kind of money,” she said.

She said she wants the other two teens police said were involved in the vandalism to face the same charges as her son.

“If he's guilty of it, fine, let him do his punishment. I just want it to be fair, that's all. Just fair,” she said.

The Burgettstown Area School District superintendent said the thieves broke into the high school on two consecutive days and caused the damage by prying open office doors and cafeteria cash registers, smashing computer monitors, stealing class rings from a trophy case and committing other acts of vandalism.

“Every classroom on the first floor in the middle and high school wings was damaged,” said Burgettstown High School Principal David Palmer.

Surveillance video with early-morning timestamps from June 28-29 shows the masked intruders walking through a hallway wearing hoodies, armed with a crowbar and hammers.

In one scene, they shatter the glass on a soft drink vending machine and empty it, stuffing some bottles into a bag and tossing others down the hall.

In another frame, an intruder looks up at a surveillance camera, then a hammer is swung at it and the video goes black.

Smith Township Police Chief Winford LaRue described it as "basically just a horrendous criminal mischief-type act." He said the most recent break-in happened around 1:30 a.m. June 29.

Superintendent Deborah Jackson said there have been three break-ins at the school since renovations were completed.